Gabriel A. Couriel wrote:
> comparing these pictures to spypics of the new durango, several things are
> evident. both trucks are identical in their front-end, all the way up to
> the beginning of the door. if you look at the door, on the dakota, the top
> part of the door is much thinner than that of the new durango (like half as
> thick), which is probably due to a need for a stronger roof on the durango
> (to carry stuff on).
The doors look quite different. The beltline on the Dak looks lower,
and as you noted the top portions of the doorframe (A-pillar and the
very top) are noticably thinner. The glass area overall on the front
doors is larger.
> as to the rear of the cab, the window looks like that used on the dakota's
> today, so it has probably been kept and enlarged. as it seems, i doubt that
> this is just a retrofit (unless it is the most expensive retrofit in the
> history of the auto industry). this is a new mid-sized truck. we just have
> to wait and see if it will be named Dakota, or something else.
What's weird is that the treatment over the rear window looks like they
just plain ran out of ideas. Also note the *extensive* coverups they
did on the edges of that rear window, the side rear windows, and the
bed/cab junction. I wonder what's hiding in there. Something
Avalanche-like, perhaps?
> also, i think this truck will definitely never see a 4 cylinder. if the
> Durango doesn't even have an available V6, i can't see how this truck would
> come with a 4 cylinder, even if it is the 2.4L (unless it's a turbo... but i
> doubt that).
As I mentioned earlier, no chance there'll be a 4-banger gas engine.
Maybe we'll see the diesel that's rumored to be coming for the Liberty.
A little trivia - there actually were V6 Durangos built. But less than
100, IIRC, very early in the '98 model year.
> as for SRT-8, i still think that's the only way we will see the HEMI in
> these trucks (maybe in the QC). however, i wouldn't doubt that there will
> be 2 available V8's on the non-SRT lineup... i wouldn't doubt that the 4.7HO
> shows up on the 4x4's as an optional engine.
Sounds logical. A "normal" or even detuned HEMI as the top dog in the
QC (much like the 360 in the current generation), the 3.7L V6 as the
standard engine, the 4.7 and 4.7HOs available as upgrades (maybe the 3.7
standard on 2WD RC/CC, and the 4.7 standard on 4x4s and QCs). Then a
year after introduction, whip out a hi-po HEMI in an R/T package.
-- -andyhttp://home.twcny.rr.com/andylevy/dakota - andy-dml@levyclan.us -------------------------------------------- "Whatever Adam does, do the opposite and you'll be fine" -Bob Tom --------------------------------------------
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